Saying goodbye to my beautiful Mom

The past four months have been extra hard for me because my dear Mom passed away on December 8, 2013. We were told that she was taken to the hospital for a check because she had declining blood pressure so they wanted to just make sure she was okay. The next time I talked to a nurse while on my way to St.George, I was told that she had gone into cardiac arrest in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and that they were having a hard time reestablishing a heart-beat. It's funny how life is, we think it is never going to change one minute and the next our entire world can come crashing down on us. I miss my Mom today like she just barely left. It doesn't seem like it happened in December, seems like just yesterday. I am just so thankful that I always tried to make her last days on earth better and as happy as they could possibly be. Here are some pictures of some of the times I have cherished with her. I will never stop missing her beautiful smile...and her kisses and hugs. The only thing that helps me keep going is knowing that she is now out of pain and with her parents and siblings on the other side of the veil.

Playing Catch Up

It's hard to believe it has been an entire year since I have posted......but here I go, attempting to record the main events of the past year, so bear with me. 

The past year has been an interesting one, with Mom now living at Red Cliffs Nursing home 

 We have tried to make special effort to visit her there often. Last Christmas, Lani and Kiara spent Christmas with Gene so I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Mom. We had fun together Out driving all around looking at Christmas lights and eating Chinese food. I am so thankful I was able to spend her first Christmas in the nursing home with her.

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Let The Holidays Begin!!

 This year Kiara and I decided to get all our Christmas lights and trees up at our house by Thanksgiving simply because we love to have our trees up and the music of Christmas playing softly...as we do our Thanksgiving baking and other cooking..it kind of gets us in the holiday spirit!

 

 

 Kiara is just like me and just LOVES the holiday season! It's so fun that she also shares my enthusiasm and excitement for this time of year..

 

 

 Our Living Room decorated, the fireplace lit and warming the house...so much funnn!! lol

 

 

 The other angle of our living room..all lit up and ready!!

 

Cherished time with my Dear Mom

These have been some good times and some of the hardest times of my entire life. My beautiful Mom fell early in the spring and broke her femur bone. She of course was rushed into emergency surgery to repair it, but just has never fully recovered. To my horror she was admitted into a Nursing Home shortly afterwards.

To most a nursing home isn't all that bad, but growing up I remember my Mom begging us kids to never put her into one. She had worked in them and knew the in's and out's of that world so she had no desire whatsoever to ever live in one. It has saddened me so much to have to leave her there. Anymore when I do make a trip down to St.George all I do is spend time with her, make a Costco run and head back up to Cedar City.

Regardless how sad it makes her feel to be living there, my Mom continues to smile and have a cheery disposition.  Mom, we love you dearly and cherish the time we have with you...we pray for you daily and are so thankful for all that you have done for all of us! Alofa tele mo oe <3 p="p">

A great night just last week Sunday...Mom had some visitors...I called them angels...Brother Su'a and Aunty Tuli showed up with pisupo and fa'alifu kalo and sang samoan songs for Mom. They were really listening to "the Spirit" just a few minutes before they got there she had called me crying and seemed so depressed! I was pleasantly surprised and greatful to see them when I got there.

My little buddy reading to me as we drive down to visit our Grandma. :)



Is It That Time of Year Already??

We had an awesome summer and now it's time for school to
start again. Each year I try to do a beginning of school year photo shoot with my girls to just kind of start their new school year out. We ran out one day to get some quick pictures of Lani and Kiara and this is some of what we wound up with.

Noelani age 9

 

Kiara age 6

 

 

 

Aaaaah Summertime!

Ah Summertime!

So our summer started out with me working part-time for about a month, but that didn't work out, the 4hrs they promised upon interview turned into 2hrs which I didn't feel was worth it to be away from my girls rather than spend their summer with them, so now I can! YIPEE!!

Sleeping Beauty Kiara on the trip to Salt Lake.

She's awake now and super excited to be here!!

One thing about working, it made it possible for me to save up enough money for us to have a little vacation.....the girls chose Lagoon, so we made a 4day trip out of it! Our first night we stayed in Taylorsville and the girls were so excited to get to swim and feel like they really were on vacation.

Noelani enjoying the pool and a moonlit swim!

Funny little mermaid!

The next morning, after a delicious breakfast we are off to Lagoon...It's what fun is!! :)



Waiting for Lagoon to open...we're excited!!



My Beauties!

Kuni was with us...he took the day off to go...it was a blast!! :)

While waiting for the girls to ride the Jumping Dragon, we decided to try out the camera on my new phone...and finally we figured out how!! haha

 The Ladybug Drop!

Lani and I on our way to the Terrorride!! Oooooh!

The Carousel

one of our favorites!

Kiara age 6

Noelani age 9

Together again!

You can see Kiara and Lani's outlines in the green gondola.

Beautiful Noelani

Lagoon day is finally over and the girls are enjoying complimentary ice-cream bars at our second hotel "The Marriott"...yes, thanks to Priceline we stayed in style! Now we need some much-needed rest to be ready for our cousin's wedding early in the morning at the Salt Lake Temple!

 Waiting outside the temple for the bride and her prince charming to come out...Kiara was supposed to be a flower girl, hence the dress. But while waiting we enjoyed taking some pictures around the temple grounds.

 

One of the fun things we did was to go check out the new City Creek Center Mall in Downtown Salt Lake...what a gorgeous mall...the girls loved it. And then we went to our favorite park Liberty Park after a nice lunch with Kuni and his son, Pio.

 

 

We all had a great time on our trip to Salt Lake...on the last day I could hardly get the girls to co-operate so that we could leave to go home. They have been so homesick lately...so on our way out of town, we headed for one of our favorite places, Daybreak for a dinner picnic on the shore of the lake. It was so nice to watch the sun go down...and it reminded us all of our old stompin' grounds. We were at Daybreak every single day for walks each morning and evening around the Lake. What a Beautiful place!! 

Happy Valentines!!

"Our neighbor valentines treats"
Cake batter Truffles and Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
We love our neighbors!

 

How does time fly by so quickly? Seems like it was just Christmas yesterday and now it's Valentines again!! We have been doing all kinds of fun stuff...the Saturday before Valentines I decided to make my special breakfast for my girls since Lani rarely stays at my house...she had decided to sleep over and I figured I needed to take advantage of the morning together and treat my girls. We had eaten steak and shrimp the night before, so I decided to do our scrambled eggs with steak, onions, spinach and cheese. I also did whole-wheat waffles from scratch and homemade buttermilk caramel syrup. Of course a little fruit and some milk and we were all in heaven!!

Valentines Breakfast

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"Lani and Kiara enjoying their Valentines Breakfast"

It has been a great Valentines for us...and I am the happiest Mom in the world...my little Valentines are the best!! I couldn't be happier than I am right now to just be their Mom and I hope and pray that I can even be half as good a Mom to them as the joy they bring into my life.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE...MAY YOUR DAY BE FILLED WITH LOVE!!